Safe from the Rain
by Taisi
Summary: It was raining, and there was no way he could escape them- those vague, evasive memories. It was his birthday, and he was alone. -Happy birthday, Naruto!-


A/N: Rena-chan! Naruto-kun!! Gomenasai!! -bows hastily- It's a day late, just like last year!! I'm so sorry, both of you!!

This is my birthday tribute to Naruto-kun, because he deserves it. Happy belated birthday!

_Safe from the Rain_

Thunder boomed overhead, and they glanced up involuntarily; dark gray storm clouds were moving in over the village, casting soft shadows over its inhabitants. "Well," the platinum-haired Jounin said conversationally, drawing his students' attention back to him, ⌠it appears our mission will be a wet one." The only kunoichi in his cell smiled at him, and the child prodigy nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Kakashi found himself hesitating to continue; when Naruto didn't pipe up with his usual enthusiasm, he frowned and let his gaze fall on the little blond. "Naruto?"

Kakashi felt himself get pinned down by that gaze as soon as those alien blue eyes met his own. Shaking off the strange feeling of complete confinement even though he was standing in an open training field, he said coolly, "Something the matter, Naruto?"

"Of course not," Naruto scoffed, managing to look completely and utterly insulted. Kakashi eye-smiled at him, tilting his head slightly.

"Well," the silver-haired shinobi said, turning around, "if we're ready, let's go." The team crouched, preparing to leap into the upper branches of the trees surrounding the field, when another particularly loud roll of thunder echoed out across the darkened skies.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said suddenly, rather loudly, sliding his bag off his shoulders and holding one of the straps tightly in his fist. "I just remembered, I have to go somewhere, I can't go on the mission with you guys."

His comrades stared at him like he was some strange creature on display at an exhibit. "What?" Kakashi asked, looking faintly surprised, which spoke greatly of his utter astonishment; for Naruto to turn down a mission meant something was seriously, greatly wrong: not only were missions a chance to show off to Sakura and prove his worth to Sasuke, but the little dobe needed the money he earned badly. Kakashi had been stunned to learn of the boy's monthly allowance before he graduated the Academy; hardly enough to cover the outrageous rent for that rundown apartment, leaving him scarce money for food...And once he became a Genin, the council completely cut off his funds, fully expecting the kid to earn his own wages. It was little wonder Naruto ate ramen so much, it was some of the cheapest food around. "Is everything alright?"

"Hahaha, of course!" he laughed a little too cheerfully. "Er, Iruka-sensei told me to meet him today is all, and I can't let him down, right?" Lightning flashed across the sky, and Naruto spun around, headed back at full-speed towards Konoha. "Good luck, guys!"

There was a long silence after his departure. It was broken by Sakura, who said quietly, "But...Iruka-sensei's gone this week..." Kakashi glanced at her, then in the direction Naruto had disappeared.

"You guys can handle this C-rank alone, right?" Sasuke asked suddenly, glancing at his teacher. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and started towards the village at a leisurely pace, leaving Kakashi and Sakura staring after him.

"Well," Kakashi said after a moment, "let's go Sakura."

"...Mm," she nodded, a little worriedly. "I hope nothing's the matter..." They took off into the trees, leaping from branch to branch easily.

"I'm sure it's nothing."

* * *

Thunder rolled across the sky, lightning ripping the fabric of the heavens upon in a glorious light that lasted all of a second.

_It's so loud..._

He pounded down the street, sense and reason lost. The rain was all around him now, lashing mercilessly at his face and clothes, the wind biting at his exposed skin. He had to keep running, he had to run faster. He had to get away--it'd catch him, they'd catch him...

_"No one's going to hear you--no one would help you."_

His foot skidded, and he fell. The gravel crunched beneath his knees and he winced. He pushed himself into an upright position and ran again, ignoring the stinging in his legs. He had to get away.

* * *

Sasuke felt his worry increase as the storm clouds built up over the village. The massive thunder heads loomed almost ominously, and he cursed them. His pace quickened, and his resolve hardened. He'd make it this time.

_"Is someone here?"_

* * *

_It hurt so bad._

_There were three of them, and alcohol lingered on their breath. They'd cornered him while he was training in the forest, and took him right there. It was the perfect place for such a misdeed. Naruto had selected the spot for his exercises because he knew, little though he was, that people were warned to never venture past the trees. He didn't know the dangers of things like wild animals or bandits, and decided to ignore such vague prohibitions._

_That's where they found him, and that's where it happened._

_He screamed and screamed--not for help, but in pain. Under normal circumstances, drunken beatings in dark alleys, he let all the pain build up inside, felt the fire in his eyes and throat and stomach, but never let it out. But there--at that time--it was too much. The beast inside him raged, and howled, unhurt but disgusted and enraged and beyond fury._

_And when it was over, he felt like even less of a person. Left there, broken and bleeding, as it began to rain. The ground was cold and the rain was freezing. The morning he turned eight was spent lying there, blinking up into the sky, and letting the sleet wash away evidence of what had transpired. Surely, if he laid there long enough, his strength would return and that feeling of being dirty all over would be gone._

_But even as the hours passed, he couldn't find the strength to stand. He relived those moments over and over, and he cried all over again. His eyes traveled to the side, to the kunai they'd torn from his grasp. If only he hadn't been so weak, he could have--_

_No. Even those men--he'd never kill them. He could never kill anyone. He was weak, but in one regard he was strong. He was not so insecure--he didn't need to beat someone else down to feel bigger. He didn't need revenge to feel powerful. He needed to be stronger, and that wouldn't come with blood on his hands._

_He rolled to his side, then onto his stomach. The pain that laced throughout him was miserable and he bit back a whimper. Getting his hands under him, he shoved himself upright and after a few minutes of struggling, managed to stand. He swayed dangerously, and fell against a tree, sliding down the bark slowly, painfully, and falling into a somewhat upright position at its base._

_It was sometime later that the boy appeared. Naruto wasn't sure when he did, or how he found the little clearing so deep inside the forest. He didn't even see him arrive; his vision was hazy, and his head hurt so badly...But then there was a voice; quietly alarmed and uncertain._

_"H...Hey," the voice muttered, and sounds of footsteps coming closer, "...are...what happened to..." Fingers brushed his face. He blinked, trying to clear his gaze. He could make out only a blend of pale face and dark hair. "Oh, I recognize you. You're that kid." But he made no move to leave. He crouched in front of him, eyes acessing Naruto's state. Realization must've dawned on him, because his face lost its little color and he swore. "Those bastards..."_

_Naruto heard cloth ripping, and felt a gentle pressure on his arm. Oh, yeah--he'd been cut there, hadn't he...Trying to find his voice, and he whispered hoarsely, "How'd...you..."_

_"I heard you," the boy said. "I was training, and I heard you scream." His voice was bitter. "I should've gotten here sooner. I wasn't sure--I mean, I didn't know if...I'm sorry," he murmured, voice burning with regret._

_Someone heard him?_

_Someone came?_

_He didn't deserve it. He was less than a person. But..._

_Tears filled his eyes, and he didn't have the strength to stop them. "I'm glad." He was unaware of speaking. "I'm glad you came." He was just so happy, not to have to be alone. The world was dimming suddenly, turning dark. He heard a muffled cry of alarm, and felt a sharp pain in the back of his head as it fell against the tree trunk._

_When he woke up, he was in Iruka's apartment, and the teacher cried out when he opened his eyes and pulled him close. He ached all over, but already he could see that most of the cuts and bruises had been healed already. With a silent, inward thanks to the creature coiled inside him, he rested his head against his teacher's shoulder and sighed. Already, those memories were escaping him, fleeting and evasive. It was too much for his mind to handle._

_He asked Iruka who it was that had been in that clearing. Iruka said he didn't know, that the stranger had gone before he could get a word out of him. It was something Naruto had never found out. He more or less moved on with life; Iruka hovered for several days, apparently waiting for him to go into shock; but in all honesty, he couldn't seem to remember why he hurt, and why Iruka seemed so worried. He didn't know why every rainfall brought back a paralyzing fear and with it an agonizing denial._

_He just didn't know why he somehow, ever year, slept his birthday away._

* * *

He'd stopped in an alley somewhere. He had no clue where he was. He hadn't thought to go to his apartment. He'd never really considered it a safe place. And now he sat, curled again a cold concrete wall, arms folded around his legs, and face hidden in his knees. He suddenly wanted to scream and cry, like all the other times. Biting back the strange impulse, he could only try to stay still and quiet and wait the weather out. He could only try.

Footsteps sounded softly on the wet ground. Naruto stiffened, fingers clenching his sleeves tightly. He looked up, vision swimming with tears, and was unsure who it was standing in front of him. _Fingers brushed his face. He blinked, trying to clear his gaze. He could make out only a blend of pale face and dark hair._

He felt a wonderment inside him, and his lips parted with a gasp. This--this was someone he knew, someone he recognized as a someone unrecognizable...Where, where had he seen him, how did he knew him? This strange, vague being...

And _then there was a voice; quietly alarmed and uncertain._

"I made it this time, usuratonkachi."

There was clarity.

"The rain'll let up soon."

A definite perception.

"Can you stand?"

Cognition.

* * *

_"Happy birthday."_

* * *

A/N: SIGH. Jeez. I don't even know.


End file.
